Those three words
by Draco the Spirit Dragon
Summary: To Rukia, theres three words she want to say if only she can find the courage to say them to Ichigo... One shot.


Those three words

For now Rukia's battles were over, Las Noches defenders were either running, dead or hiding from the wraith of the four captains and Ichigo's forces and for now they were going no were thanks to the trickery of Azien.

Rukia bit her lip as she watched Orihime thank Ichigo with a hug for coming to save her, far more warmly and nervously than she hade given when thanking the others. Rukia wasn't blind and she could read Orihime like a book. She easly read her feelings and her desire, and they were all clearly aimed at Ichigo.

If Rukia did nothing now then she might regret it for the rest of her life. So she was going to have to at least try to show Ichigo that someone else cared about him that way and that someone who had very deep feelings for him indeed.

She walked towards him; she gulped as she felt her brothers stare on her back and wondered how much he guessed of Rukia's thoughts and motives at that moment.

"Ichigo" She said firmly to get his attention and then she froze as his eyes turned on her.

"What Rukia?" he asked with a look of curiosity in his eyes. Rukia stared at him, trying to find the courage to say something from within her heart.

"I'm glad to see you're alive. " She blurted out.

"I glad you are as well Rukia." He replied casually. "I think we all had pretty difficult battles back there."

Rukia swore at herself in her mind. She had lacked the courage to admit her real feelings, to show him anything beyond the feelings of comrade. As he started to turn away, she grabbed the first words she could think of.

"I thought I was going to die alone." She spoke with a mixture of nervousness and fear in her voice. "And Shiba-dono told me never to die alone…."

Ichigo was staring at her now and she was certainly getting more than a little bit of attention from the others. It wasn't positive attention.

"You must still be suffering from shock." Isane spoke softly with a look of concern on her face as she walked over. "Your battle was a rather traumatic one after all."

"Traumatic?" Said Ichigo with look of grave concern on his face.

"Oh it certainly was." Said Captain Kurotsuchi with a certain savage joy in his tone. "She had to face down Espada number nine, Aaroniero Arruruerie, who had this amazing ability to absorb the power of other Hallows by eating there remains. It gets even more interesting when you consider the fact it had eaten the remains of a Hallow that had possessed the body of her former commanding officer and teacher Shiba Kaien."

Rukia could feel herself shaking; see the replaying of the recent pain in her head again and again

"Stop it." Ichigo said with a certain quiet rage in his voice. "If Rukia had a bad time, I doubt she needs reminding of it."

"I suppose your right." Captain Kurotsuchi said in an uncaring tone. "Through considering her mental state, I'm surprised the Forth Division doesn't keep a closer eye on her."

Rukia looked at Ichigo with an increasing uneasiness. He was looking both curious and worried now and his gaze kept turning to Rukia.

"You will cease this conversation." Byakuya said in a rather demanding tone. "It has not point and is borderline insulting to the honour of Kuchiki clan."

Captain Kurotsuchi smiled a dark smile.

"Oh you rather leave the Substitute Shinigami in the dark wouldn't you?" He said in a very confrontational tone. "But we all know the truth will out sooner or latter."

Byakuya glared, Ichigo looked to Rukia.

"Rukia what does he mean?" he asked her sincerely. He was wearing such an innocent face. A face she never seen on Kaien, the man who looked so much like him. Rukia took a deep breath and gathered her thought, tried to stop the shaking, tried to be brave.

"It is not madness to trust a man who so alike to your teacher." Rukia said firmly. "The fact that those similarities are not just of character, but of appearance, doesn't change the truth of my words."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, it only took seconds for him to realise the meaning of her words, but they were long seconds for Rukia.

"Oh I get it. " He said with a slightly grumpy tone "You think Rukia gone crazy and done so many crazy things with me because I look a bit like her teacher?"

His question was aimed at Captain Kurotsuchi but he didn't give him chance to reply.

"She cunning you know." He said while pointing at Rukia. "Smart, sneaky and most importantly a rather controlling little midget when she wants to be".

Rukia let a slight grin pass her face, Byakuya opened his mouth slightly but no words came out.

"You think she some easily controlled idiot with mental problems?" he said with a little smirk. "Because if you do, you don't know her at all."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, Ichigo looked at Rukia. She felt her pride soar and her heart beat like a drum at the praise that Ichigo had piled on her. Things then went rather quiet after that but Rukia wanted to shout something, do something that would show her heart.

But there were just too many people watching her, judging her. She could feel her brother staring into her back with intensity that could burrow through rock.

"Thank you Ichigo." Rukia spoke to him softly, saying the wrong three words out of a fear of being mocked.

It many, many days latter now. Azien had disappeared and Rukia's world was high school once again. Rukia tapped her pen on the desk.

Life didn't feel the same as before. Rukia thought as stared over at Orihime as she left her seat. Orihime was different now, more edgy, less at ease and clearly unhappy. There was also a certain guilt in her eyes that Rukia saw when Orihime though no one was watching.

Rukia sighed to herself. Her love life was so dam complicated, and she wasn't even getting any hugging out of it.

"Hey midget!" Ichigo yelled in her ear, waking her from her thoughts with jolt. "Why the long face?"

"I was just thinking about what we learned in history today!" she rapidly lied.

"Right Rukia." Ichigo said with a raised eyebrow. "You must be reading a lot of history in your spare time, because you seem to wear that long face a lot lately."

Rukia bit her lip, but thankfully Ichigo didn't seem to want to question her further.

"Come on" He said seriously "There's a plan of mine I want to talk about with you when we get home."

After those serous words he started grinning. Rukia was more than slightly curious now.

Finally after the longest walk home ever, the two of them were sitting in Ichigo's room, alone. Kon being unceremonially kicked out of the room before hand (much to his protests).

"So..." Rukia started "…Just what have you been planning then?" Her curiosity was intense now.

"How to ask this certain girl out without breaking Orihime's heart." He said firmly as he laid back on his bed. Rukia felt her heart jump a beat.

"You're going to ask a girl out?" She blurted out, with more than just a curiosity because there was envy and fear mixed in with it too.

"Yes." He said while staring deliberately at the ceiling to avoid her gaze. "And I'm a bit scared Rukia."

For the second time that day Rukia bit her lip. She didn't want to cry and cause Ichigo more worry than he was already suffering, even if it was worry about asking out another girl.. So she put on a brave face and tried to be a good friend.

"Talk to me" She said in voice braver than she felt for Ichigo sake.

"She's really complicated… "He said in rather low tone that she never really heard him use before. "For a start while she's strong and beautiful, there a vulnerable side to her as well. Sometimes I get the feeling that there a lot of unhappy memories buried inside her that makes her heart rather tender in places."

"So she's a bit of mystery to you at times then?" Rukia asked in the same brave tone. Even if the girl was a rival to Rukia, it was clear this girl meant something to Ichigo.

"Just a bit." Ichigo continued. "I sometimes find rather big things out about her at the most inconvenient times." He said the last bit with a little laugh on the end.

"But I guess that's part of the attraction really. " His voice seemed happier. "She got to be about the only girl I know that can keep me on my toes and that's important to me."

Rukia stared at Ichigo face, there was worry in it. Why was being kept on his toes important to him?

"Ichigo..." She softly said.

"Rukia I am a Vizard." He stated simply. "I can't afford to get weak or complacent, because if I do I might turn into a real monster."

"And you trust that she won't freak out when she find out about your mask?" She asked in a firm tone.

"She about as likely to freak out about it as you Rukia" He said with the same grin as earlier returning.

"Tough girl then." Said Rukia as she tried to figure out who this girl must be, the only person that she could think that remotely fit was Tatsuki, but she didn't seem that good a fit.

"What else make her so complicated then?" Rukia asked, trying to figure out who this girl that had Ichigo's heart was.

"Well I'm going to deal with a very overbearing family" Ichigo said while grinning. "And some of her work friends are utterly insane to boot."

"Wait... did you say work friends Ichigo?" Rukia asked in a probing voice. "Please tell me you're not dating an older woman!"

Ichigo gulped.

"I don't think age is important in a relationship Rukia" Ichigo said nervously. "I mean the important thing is mutual understanding right?"

Rukia glared at him, he was looking her in the eyes now.

"I know some people are going to react to the relationship in a negative light" He continued while speaking to her in the same nervous tone. "But there something between us, an understanding that words just doesn't do justice. It is like she's filled a hole in my life and made me something better and happier than I was before."

Strong words Rukia silently thought. Ok bite the bullet Rukia, ask the blindingly obvious question.

"Who is she then Ichigo?" Rukia asked while staring at Ichigo in the eyes. He took his time to answer and seems to be shaking slightly.

"Those three words are so hard to say aren't they Rukia?" he said with a scared look on his face. "But I thought I given you enough clues for you to put it all together Rukia".

Why was he so scared? What did he mean by those three words?

"She's a warrior you know" He said in a scared tone. "And I know she's always got my back when I look at her in those indigo eyes. She also got the most beautiful Zanpakutō in the Soul Society, it's called Sode no Shirayuki, you may have heard of it."

Rukia blinked. He had been talking about her the whole time!

"Ichigo…" She said softly as she moved much closer to him. He sat up and there heads were now inches away from each others. Both of them where shaking like leafs.

"You been trying to gather up the courage to do this a long time haven't you?" she spoke as she nervously place her hand on his check.

"And I don't think I'm the only one am I?" He said as he wrapped one arm softly around her waist.

"Do you love me Ichigo?" she said softly into his ear.

"I love you" he replied as he pushed her back softly onto the bed before kissing her deeply.

They enjoyed the kiss a while before Ichigo final broke it.

"So what is your cunning plan to stop Orihime being heart broken when she learn were a… couple?" She said the last bit with a bit of strangeness. It was going to take a while to get use to the whole idea of being more than just Ichigo's friend.

"Disneyland with Uryū. " He said with a smirk "He going to ask her at dinnertime tomorrow."

Rukia let out a giggle as she considered how that day was going to go.

She also wondered how much trouble Uryū would have with the same three words that had given Ichigo and Rukia so much trouble.


End file.
